


Aftermath

by Slaine



Category: Kakumeiki Valvrave | Valvrave the Liberator
Genre: Friendship, Gen, but I didnt want to add any as the focus is their friendship, if anyone wants to see their ships go right ahead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-23
Updated: 2014-08-23
Packaged: 2018-02-14 09:10:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2185986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slaine/pseuds/Slaine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which L-Elf finally dies, and finds three people waiting for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftermath

_He opens his eyes to…nothingness. Misty white surrounds him everywhere except for a path of light that begins on his feet. And speaking of his body: he checks himself and it seems he’s back to how he looked when he was around seventeen._

He can’t say he’s pleased with his death at all.

It was all wrong.

First it took too long. He was aware that considering his healthy lifestyle that would happen but _still_ , it had been terrible watching as his motor skills failed him and he couldn’t even write anymore without his hands trembling.

And he was sure that near the end his memory had started being affected too.

And his death had come…about two days sooner than his calculations. Ridiculous. So what if he had been ninety-eight years old? He should have still managed to figure out the precise time it would be.

And now he was sure he hadn’t left all his affairs in order, and maybe not written all the instructions he needed…

He gave his death a Grade _F_.

But more importantly…what came now? Mikhail had read many theories on what life after death would be and they had all sounded nothing like he wanted. In fact, they sounded like they needed someone taking charge because surely you can’t get things working fine if all people do is laze around in clouds singing with harps.

His best bet would be reincarnation. It’s not as if he had left anyone in the living world he wished to wait for. A-Drei had gone before him and Saki –not really a friend, but certainly a dear companion- was immortal; no point in waiting for someone that might never come.

“How long are you just going to stand there, L-Elf?”

_And speak of the devil_

A-Drei was suddenly in front of him, even though Mikhail hadn’t seen or heard him approach. He too looked just like he had when he was young and not the age he had died.

"It’s good to see you, old friend."

"Likewise."

Other people might have burst in tears or hugged the friend they hadn’t seen in some time, but they hadn’t been good with displays of affection between them; the last lingering remains of their military days. But just that they were still friends after everything they had gone through was proof enough of their bond.

 ”And as for your question, I was analyzing my surroundings before making a move.”

"There is nothing to see. Now come the others are waiting."

Mikhail frowned. Surely his staff hadn’t wanted to see him in the afterlife? “Who is-“

"L-ELF!"

It was something that would never be possible in real life, but here someone actually managed to cannonball straight into Mikhail and hug him.

He had only known this boy for a few mere months in a lifetime that lasted ninety-eight very eventful years. Yet somehow he recognized the voice like he had only heard it yesterday.

“ _Haruto?_ " Mikhail came as close to stammering as he would, pulling Haruto away enough to see his face but not breaking the contact. The boy beamed.

"Of course! Man, it’s so good to be able to speak with you, finally! I saw what you were doing down there, you were great as a leader!"

"I…what are you still doing here? You died eighty years ago, is there no reincarnation…?"

A-Drei was the one to answer, looking slightly amused at Haruto’s eagerness. “There is, but Haruto has been delaying his to wait….”

Mikhail glanced between the two, confused. “Wait for whom? From what I remember the last of your classmates died over a decade ago, the only ones left are pilots. Haruto, are you planning on waiting here indefinitely in case there comes a situation where they run out of runes and die?”

Haruto’s smile dimmed, making Mikhail regret his questioning somewhat; it made no sense given how little they had spent together, but he _had_ missed that smile.

"I….did consider waiting for them at first but, I’ve long accepted that wouldn’t be smart…" he said with resignation, then breathed deeply and went back to genuinely beaming at Mikhail. "So the one I’ve been waiting for was you of course! So we could go to the next life together!"

There was a lump on the silver haired boy’s throat. He could understand A-Drei hanging around for a few more years, but Haruto waiting this long?

"But….why?"

"Why? Because we’re friends of course!"

"I…yes…yes we were… _are_ …but I never even acknowledged you-“

"Of course you did, you said it just before my runes totally depleted. Or did you forget?"

_If only I could have._ He felt the rare sting of tears on the corner of his eyes.

"Haruto, regarding that, I…I am truly sorry it took me so long to admit it."

"Dont be." The former valvrave pilot squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "In a way it was better like that. Even if my memory was gone, your words still comforted me and made my death more peaceful. And hey, better late than ever, right?"

Mikhail snorted at Haruto’s blatant attempt to lighten the mood. “I suppose…” he halted what he was about to say when he remembered A-Drei’s earlier words. He turned to his other (and it was weird yet good that he could now say he had more than one) friend and asked “A-Drei, you said ‘others’ who else would be waiting for me?”

A-Drei just grinned widely at him. And then…

"Mikhail"

He tensed at this also familiar voice. Haruto smiled and finally let go of him completely, stepping back so he could turn back to see-

He was suddenly breathless “Liselotte?”

She smiled and came near enough to be able to extend a hand and touch his shoulder. “It is so good to finally be near you again.”

"I also need to apologize to you. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you either, I-"

She placed a finger to his lips to stop him and shook her head. “If we are to apologize, then I have done as much, and surely more, ill towards you.”

"No, of course you-"

“ _However_ it is clear you don’t harbor any resentment towards me and I too feel no such thing towards you, so rather than apologize for all we wish we could have done more for each other, let us just simply move on and appreciate this second meeting we now have.”

Mikhail could only nod, too overcome with emotion.

The moment was ruined by Haruto, yelling from somewhere behind Mikhail “Heeeey, good one Lis! Wise as always.”

“ _Lis?!”_ he snarled, swirling around glaring. “Why are you addressing her so disrespectfully?”

"Woah, calm down L-Elf! We’ve been hanging around waiting for you since that day. We’re great friends now, right Lis?"

"Yes, that’s right. Haruto, A-Drei and I are friends now, Mikhail."

A-Drei smirked “Yeah, we bonded over embarrassing stories about you.”

Mikhail sputtered “What? I do _not_ have any embarrassing stories!”

"It’s ok L-Elf, we all have out moments."

"I do not- and _you_ are one to talk, Tokishima Haruto, those few months I spent in the school were enough to give me embarrassing tales of you for a _decade.”_

"Oh not _again_ ; you’re about to start telling the dress incident aren’t you? For the last time, that was _Saki_ possessing me and-“

A-Drei coughed politely. “It’s good that I can finally see the banter I heard so much about, but maybe we should show him around first?”

"Is there anything to see?"

"Do you really think this fog is all there is to the afterlife?"

"True, very well… _my friends_ …lead the way. And tell me of the workings of this place. Does it function well?”

"Why? L-Elf you’re not planning to try and take over here too are you?"

"That will depend; will it need me to do so?"

With A-Drei to one side, Haruto on his other and Liselotte guiding the way, Mikhail couldn’t help but feel that, whatever it turned out to be, the afterlife was perfect already.

It seems his life had been worth it after all.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for valvraveweek. I'm not used to writing these characters so this felt so-so but it's something that I always wanted to see after the finale.
> 
> Because really, L-Elf had left a lot of things unsaid with Liselotte and Haruto and while dying is usually not a good thing, it was the only way he could see them, and I felt he would only really find peace if he could talk to them one more time.
> 
> And of course A-Drei would also be there.
> 
> Finally, I did write a short part for someone that is a continuation to this, not sure if I'll post though...
> 
> Thank you for reading


End file.
